The Portland daily press., 1887-05-16
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
SECOND PARISH SUNDAY SCHOOL.

/ SECOND HAAlSli pNiOOl%'
The SEVENTEEN anniversary of the Sunday
school of the Second ParishChurch was held
yesterday afternoon and was attended by so
| large number that the seating capacity OF
| the pews in the church had to be supple
mented by chairs. The pulpit and platform
were half hidden behind fragrant flowers
and plants. In the centre Of the church the
seats were occupied by the Sunday school
and their teachers. Rev. G. A. Dickinson,
former pastor of the church, was present
and delivered the address.
The services began with an organ volun-
tary and an anthem by the choir. The
XIXth Psalm was then read responsibility
after which prayer was offered by Rev. Mr..
Dickinson. The other exercises consisted of
singing by the school, reading OF the
LXVIlth Psalm, singing by the Young Peo-
pies Quartette, recitation and singing by
the Chinese class, "a childrens' sermon" by
eight girls, duet by Misses Robinson and
Kicker, recitation by Sammy Merrill and
solo by Miss Nellie Webster.
The superintendent of the school, Mr.. w.
| w. Mitchell, who presided over the meeting,
read the annual report which shows the
| school to consist of 500 members, including
4 I'VE Objects anu " ltdcIleIS anu lUt OHlutSt
| department of % scholars and p teachers.
| The largest number present at any session
| was 500; average attendance, 315. The in
FAINT class, under charge of Mrs. Samuel
| Fogg, numbers 112. Ten have united with
the church during the year. The treasurer
| reported:
Receipts. .....,...-... ..................SS49 "a
Expenditures. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 344 6S
Balance. .............. ................ S4 &c
1 of he of he
| class shows
Expenses and Donations. .............. 80 32
| Mr.. Mitchell paid fitting tribute to the
memory of the four members of the school
who have died during the year.
Rev. Mr.. Dickinson was introduced in a
| few appropriate words. He alluded briefly
TO his pastorate over the church and spoke
feelingly of the reception given him at its
commencement by the congregation and the
venerable Dr. Carruthers, who was present
! yesterday afternoon. Mr. Dickinson then
| spoke for about half an hour upon the life
and character of Joseph, receiving the clos
est attention on the part of his auditors. The
| speaker compared the early life and troubles
| of Joseph with the youthful experiences of
| many OF the great men whose works have
been for the benefit of the world Passing to
| a consideration of the character of joseph.
| Joseph's success in language calculated to
impress his youthful hearers as well as the
older members of the congregation.
One great thing which made Joseph the
| good and true man which he was, was his
ability to say mo" at the right time Many
young man has been led into great evil by
his failure to resolutely refuse the first invi-
| tation to do something wrong. Another char
acteristic Of Joseph was that what he found
to do, he did we'll. The way to success is to
| do the little every day duties faithfully and
| 1t is when they are so done that person will
| be promoted to the performance of greater
| ones.
Still another of the elements of Joseph's
success was that he could be all things to all
men. BY this expression, which was used
by st. Paul, is not meant double dealing or
anything of the sort, but what has been
termed sanctifed common sense, or as ex-
pressed by shorter word, tact. 1t means
| the study of peoples character and the
| rounding off the angles in ones own dispo-
sitien. We may believe that st. Paul when
he was in Rome acted as Roman, and when
and when at Corinth he tried to be a Cor
inthian, so that he was successful among
| each of these peoples. In conclusion, Mr..
Dickinson said whatever may be our worldly
success or attachments. they who have
| Jesus In their hearts are truly successful in
this world and in the next
MAINE BIBLE SOCIETY.
seventh anniversary at the Free Street Bap-
fist Church last evening. There was large
audience present. Seated upon the platform
besides Seth W. Larrabee, Esq, president of
the association, were Rev. Messrs. Dunn,
Hallock, Dalton, Bayley. DR.. Hill and Pres
ident Pepper of Colby University.
President Larrabee spoke few words in
regard to the founding and history of the or
ganization, and was followed by Rev. L. II.
Hallock in Scriptural reading Prayer was
offered by Dr. Hill, which was succeeded by
the report of the trustees of the Society,
made by Rev. Mr.. Dunn. He stated that
during the last twelve months there had
been five men in the field and the canvass of
Cumberland county completed and portionsof
| Somerset, Franklin and Androscoggin coun-
ties. In Cumberland counties 1872 fami-
| lies have been visited 726S of which were
| non-attendants at churches; 6473 children
mere outside the Sunday school while 531
families had no Bibles. Up to March 9th
the report for the whole work in the State
showed 21,0l5 families visited, S457 nom
attendants at religious service, and 1894
| children not in the Sunday Schools.
The receipts for the year have left pleas
ing balance over the disbursements and the
Society was much gratifed at the results
achieved. Yet great work remained to be
| done and it was hoped would receive the
| earnest cooperation of the Christian help
ers of the State.
Rev. DR.. Pepper then delivered the annual
address of which the following is an alb
| stract:
:, The Society needs no words of commenda-
ton from my lips for it is reinforced by
many years of successful work. The facts
are an inspiration for us to continue. All
the reasons for the distribution of Bibles
may be summed up in this--the genuine com
plete humanity of the book. 1t is human
yet dly,ne, not In the misty sense of Ho-
mer's llliad and Millions Paradise Lost. but
it is Gods, as the Heaven and the earth are
his. Gods heart is the heart of the Bible,
He knows us thousand times better than
we know ourselves. All is clear to his Wis
Ion, ana NOT even the most trivial thing can
| given to us in the Bible must be of great
worth. 1t is word to man and for man.
AND IN speaking to man God has used human
| agencies; not mere passive beings but in
splred Oh Heaven. Christ was human and
divine. In his needs. his ambitions, his de-
slres, humanity prevailed, while in trnth
ana majesty he was equally divine. We are
carrying this Bible everywhere, into the
.'"hAASe uuN hoiuuS NllldStS, Tie cities and
! towns, the islands of the sea. The Bibles
| first blessing is that of creating interest in
itself. 1t has stories, not fabulous but true.
that must awaken, arouse and stimulate. 1t
is of universal interest for childhood and is
full of pleasant and beautiful sentiments for
them. book for youth, manhood and old
age as well. For all nations and for ali
classes. Poetry and prose, philosophy and
and science are to be found between its COW
ers. 1t is human with an all-sided humaui
ty,and he must indeed be ahard-hearted man
who has no cords which vibrate with IT,
Again. the Bible is book of ambition.
urging us onward to win by pluck and energy
| justifable and blessed prosperity. God de-
MES Himself if He denies the Qualification
OF this desire. But He does not deny it.
Though Christ sympathized with the poor.
lie implied that poverty was an evil The
principles of the gospel are sound business
! principles. Intelligence and integrity are its
fundamental points.
The Bible is the mightiest factor in men
tai Developments development that our
thousands of schools and colleges are en-
| deavoring to inculcate Education is not
now as formally, for the rich alone, but for
all. All that is needed to obtain a college
education today are pluck and brains. Tie
mind has wealth all its own, far above
monetary wealth. The Bible is a wonderful